


The Rabbit Hole

by BurningIris



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Blackmail, Even if he shouldn’t be, Gabe has a very bad day, Have a thing!, Implied Relationships, The Director is nameless and disposable, a very VERY bad day, but he is NOT Director Petras
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-30
Updated: 2018-10-30
Packaged: 2019-08-09 23:19:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16458947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BurningIris/pseuds/BurningIris
Summary: Gabriel had glimpsed how far the rabbit hole of corruption in Overwatch went, but now he finds himself caught in the spiders web.*A quick one-shot of headcanon plot I wrote a while ago. Discrepancies abound due to the fact this was written long before the Retribution Event and its story additions were even teased.





	The Rabbit Hole

“Commander Reyes,do you have any idea why you’re here?”

 

Gabriel shifted crossing his arms and eyeing the pompous suited man seated in front of him. Once again he’d been called in during drills. Granted watching new recruits fumble around in the training fields was painful to see but slightly entertaining, but it was a silver screen spectacle compared to having to go deal with one of the brass. 

 

“Well director, whenever you actually want to see me it’s for nothing good.” He quipped

 

“How right you are,” the man said with a bitter smile. 

 

The Director was a shrewd man, stereotypical for someone in his position in every way. Overweight, a corny mustache that looked like an overgrown caterpillar had been slapped on his face, and beady dark eyes. 

 

Thankfully the man knew how to cut to the chase however, and not waste their time. Pulling up a hollo-tab with an array of documents, he said, “Someone in Archives noticed a rather concerning trend with Blackwatch’s mission reports in the last few months. From three months ago to now you have lost no less than 23 operatives all of which were listed as either KIA, MIA, or labeled with desertion. Anything you wish to tell me about this, Commander?”

 

“I was made aware of the numbers several weeks ago. I have a team running investigations to see if we can narrow down the root cause in failed missions, sir.” Gabe said evenly. “I have also enforced stricter training regimens and exercises.”

 

Making a hum of acknowledgement, the director fell silent. Tapping his fingers against his desk for a moment he sat up a little straighter and said, “Strange too that those aforementioned failed missions all contained yourself or one of your two right hand men. The Shimada, and McCree. I can’t help but wonder if there’s a lack in leadership present causing these...distressing casualties.” 

 

“And I can’t help but wonder if there’s some other reason you called my ass in here other than bullshit accusations.” Gabriel countered. “ _ Sir _ .” He added scathingly. 

 

“I’m not sure, do  _ you _ think there is an ulterior motive here, commander?” The suit said steepling his fingers. 

 

“You and I both know I run a tighter ship than Morrison is running, Director. We both know it’s been stated that if I got canned for some bullshit you’d lose over half of Blackwatch. Plus if it was an actual concern over how I run my men, you’d have the Commissioner, and the General in here as witnesses, and to express their own concerns as you haven’t been in armed combat a day in your damned life.” Gabriel growled, getting tired of the run around the man was trying to set up. “So why did you actually want to see me? Is it a hit, someone you need to squeal? God knows you’ve made me do enough dirty work already.”

 

Silent for a moment, the director let out a short humorless laugh then leaned forward as he laced his fingers together and braced his elbows on his desk. 

“I know you’ve been killing my men Reyes. I want you to cease all internal investigations you’ve been running about this organization.” He said lowly. 

 

His men? So Gabriel’s suspicions had been right… Uncrossing his arms the commander felt a chill go up his back but he kept his poker face, even as he heard the door behind him open and two men outfitted in Overwatch uniforms flanked him. One reached over and calmly locked the door as the other drew a pistol with a rather hefty silencer from his coat and stood at ease.  

 

Shit...he should have known. 

 

“And don’t say you don’t know what I’m talking about Gabriel,” the director added, catching the commanders hesitation. “I’ve got all the proof I need.”

 

With a simple tap the man pulled up a holo screen with grainy but still identifiable CCTV footage, showing Gabriel holding a shotgun to the back of one of his own operatives heads, and pulling the trigger. 

 

Visibly deflating, his shoulders going slack and his head  dipping slightly, Gabe felt his chest grow tight. He’d done so well until now. No trail, no evidence, and only a few links that would easily be written off as circumstantial. Letting out a quiet sigh his eyes hardened as he glared at the man before him. “What do you want?”

 

“Your silence Reyes. Obviously you’ve glimpsed at how far down our little rabbit hole goes, but you’re a good man. Good at what you do, the amount of agents you’ve executed until now is evidence of that, every one of them had ties to us,” The director said leaning back in his chair once more. “So I have one promise for you, and one proposal. The first, I’ll let you think on. Join us. Talon could use your strengths to great effect, and we’d have a few things to offer as well. I know about the cancer you’ve been facing, we can offer a better fix than anyone here. Oh don’t look so surprised, we noticed your more frequent visits to Ziegler and her brother a while ago.”

 

“And if I don’t?” Gabriel growled

 

“That leads into our little promise. If you even think about blowing the whistle on everything, we’ll ruin you. You’ve been sloppy Reyes. No one remembers you as the great hero of the Omnic Crisis, now you’re just a lonely man who works with bottom of the barrel killers in a black ops organization. We have video of you killing your own men, surveillance of you torturing prisoners, you’ll never make it out of the political and judicial avalanche we can bury you under.

“Next, if our operatives keep ‘mysteriously’ being killed or go missing I’m afraid I can’t promise _ ‘something’  _ won’t happen to those two boys you’ve grown so fond of, the Shimada and the dim witted cowboy.”

 

Then leaning forward with an all too devious grin the man added “and if you do happen to blow the whistle, or any of your internal investigations go public, I’m  afraid I can’t guarantee your little posterboy boyfriends safety. Oh yes, I know about that too. It would be a real shame for the oh so famous Strike Commander Morrison to…mysteriously go missing like Captain Amari did wouldn’t it?”

 

Again ice went down Gabriel’s back, and a burning rage settled in his stomach. Clenching his fists, he resisted the urge to just go up and punch the man in his smug fat face. So Talon had been behind Ana’s disappearance too? He quickly shoved away the thought that this probably meant Ana was dead.

 

“Fine. You have my word,” he growled. 

 

“Excellent!” The Director said with a sickeningly pleased tone. “You are dismissed then commander,” he said with a wave. 

 

Turning Gabe glared daggers at the Overwatch operatives that had been behind them. Silently they both stepped to the side and let him leave. 

 

Later Gabe managed to snag McCree and Genji to speak privately. Genji, as usual, was outwardly passive, not really showing any major emotion at the moment, where McCree seemed concerned. It couldn’t have been a good thing they’d gotten called and were taken to talk in a secure area, away from any prying ears or eyes, organic or electronic. 

 

“What’s goin’ on boss?” Jesse asked. 

 

Sighing Gabe folded his arms and said, “I am shutting down all aspects of Operation Nexus. You two are to cease all internal investigations I’ve had you on until now.”

 

“What? Boss are  you sure-“ Jesse started to ask, immediately sensing something was wrong. 

 

“Don’t question me McCree, just do it!” Gabe suddenly snapped. Damn stress was getting to him. 

 

At this even Genji looked surprised, his posture shifting to more alert. Jesse however hesitated, it must have been serious if Gabe was suddenly raising his voice to him. Ever since the man had learned how gun-shy Jesse was to that when he first joined, Gabe was careful until the cowboy had adjusted. 

 

“Yessir’ Boss…” McCree nodded stiffly. 

 

“Good...I’ll inform Fio later. You’re dismissed.” Gabe said flatly. He knew he didn’t have to worry about Genji obeying despite the ninja not saying a word. 

 

Once the two were gone, Gabriel followed a short time after, trudging back to his organized mess of an office  and slumped into his chair. Bracing his elbows on the desktop, and resting his forehead in his palms, the man let out a heavy sigh. He felt drained, in more ways than one. His mind was reeling with everything that had happened and come to light in just a few short hours of what should have just been a routine day. 

 

First Gerard’s apparent murder, and Amille  going missing, then increasing off-book ops assigned by the director… torture, assassinations...dreadful things he shoved to the back of his mind and locked away. It was all for the greater good right?

 

...what a joke. 

 

Then he’d discovered after feeling ill for two weeks he had a unseen form of leukemia that Mercy and Michelangelo theorized originated from a mutation left dormant from the SEP treatment. That had been several weeks of whirlwind testing and Nanite derived treatments, things that wouldn’t knock him off his feet or wreck his immunity while fighting off the cancer, all the while trying to keep it secret. He couldn’t afford to be pulled from active duty. 

 

After that of course, Ana had gone MIA, and this put even more strain on his and Jacks already questionably stable relationship. Now...this. After this he’d have to force yet more distance between him and Jack in a feeble effort to protect the man….

 

He wasn’t sure what or when, but Gabriel could tell, something had to break soon. 


End file.
